Systems and methods for financial instrument inspection

Abstract

Systems and methods for user-configurable financial instrument inspection are provided. A user may select the type of financial performance information and presentation format of the financial performance information to be displayed when the user selects a particular financial instrument. The user may associate a set of financial performance information and presentation format with a particular financial market for financial instruments. The financial instrument inspector may also facilitate trading of financial instruments.

1 . A method for inspecting a financial instrument comprising: 
 selecting financial performance information items from a list of available financial performance information items;    arranging the presentation format of the selected financial performance information items;    selecting at least one financial instrument for inspection;    retrieving the financial performance information related to the selected financial performance information items, wherein the financial performance information corresponds to the at least one selected financial instrument; and    displaying the retrieved financial performance information in the arranged presentation format.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the displaying the retrieved financial performance information is performed on a separate display.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the displaying the retrieved financial performance information is performed in a window of a display.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the arranging the presentation format of the selected financial performance information items comprises arranging the financial performance information items spatially within a display.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting a financial market from a list of available financial markets, wherein the list of financial performance information items available corresponds to the selected financial market.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising trading the at least one selected financial instrument.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising trading the at least one selected financial instrument when a user selects at least one third party vendor of financial instrument trading services.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 trading the at least one selected financial instrument; and    displaying trading information related to the at least one traded financial instrument.    
     
     
         9 . A system for financial instrument inspection comprising: 
 means for selecting financial performance information items from a list of available financial performance information items;    means for arranging the presentation format of the selected financial performance information items;    means for selecting at least one financial instrument for inspection;    means for retrieving the financial performance information related to the selected financial performance information items, wherein the financial performance information corresponds to the at least one selected financial instrument; and    means for displaying the retrieved financial performance information in the arranged presentation format.    
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the means for displaying the retrieved financial performance information comprises a separate display.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the means for displaying the retrieved financial performance information comprises a window of a display.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the means for arranging of the presentation format of the selected financial performance information items comprises means for arranging the financial performance information items spatially within a display.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising means for selecting a financial market from a list of available financial markets, wherein the list of financial performance information items available corresponds to the selected financial market.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising means for trading the at least one selected financial instrument.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising means for trading the at least one selected financial instrument when a user selects at least one third party vendor of financial instrument trading services.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 means for trading the at least one selected financial instrument; and    means for displaying information related to the at least one traded financial instrument.    
     
     
         17 . A system for financial instrument inspection comprising: 
 at least one user computer adapted to select financial performance information items from a list of available financial performance information items, arrange the presentation format of the selected financial performance information items, select at least one financial instrument for inspection, retrieve the financial performance information related to the selected financial performance information items, wherein the financial performance information corresponds to the at least one selected financial instrument, and display the retrieved financial performance information in the arranged presentation format;    a server adapted to provide the at least one user computer with at least one financial instrument application;    a computer network; and    a communications link connecting the at least one user computing device, the server, and the computer network, wherein the communications link allows the transfer of data.    
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one user computer is further comprised of a separate display adapted to display the retrieved financial performance information.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one user computer is further adapted to display the retrieved financial performance information in a window of a display.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one user computer is further adapted to arrange the presentation format of the selected financial performance information items spatially within a display.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one user computer is further adapted to receive a selection of a financial market from a list of available financial markets, wherein the list of financial performance information items available corresponds to the selected financial market.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one user computer is further adapted to trade the selected financial instrument.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one user computer is further adapted to trade the at least one selected financial instrument when a user selects at least one third party vendor of financial instrument trading services.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one user computer is adapted to trade the at least one selected financial instrument and display information related to the traded financial instrument.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the computer network is the Internet.